# 1971 Green Bay Packers season

The 1971 Green Bay Packers season was their 53rd season overall and their 51st season in the National Football League (NFL). The team finished with a 4–8–2 record under first-year coach Dan Devine, earning them a fourth-place finish in the NFC Central division. This was Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr's sixteenth and final season as an active player.

## Offseason
### NFL draft

1971 Green Bay Packers draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
| 1 | 9 | John Brockington * | Running back | Ohio State | from Denver |
| 2 | 46 | Virgil Robinson | Running back | Grambling | |
| 3 | 62 | Charlie Hall | Defensive back | Pittsburgh | |
| 5 | 116 | Donnell Smith | Defensive end | Southern | |
| 5 | 124 | Jim Stillwagon | Linebacker | Ohio State | |
| 6 | 140 | Scott Hunter | Quarterback | Alabama | |
| 7 | 168 | Dave Davis | Wide receiver | Tennessee State | |
| 7 | 175 | James Johnson | Wide receiver | Bishop | |
| 8 | 193 | Win Headley | Center | Wake Forest | |
| 9 | 218 | Barry Mayer | Running back | Minnesota | |
| 10 | 246 | Kevin Hunt | Tackle | Doane | Played with Packers in 1972 |
| 11 | 271 | John Lanier | Running back | Parsons | |
| 12 | 296 | Greg Hendren | Guard | California | |
| 13 | 324 | Jack Martin | Running back | Angelo State | |
| 14 | 348 | LeRoy Spears | Defensive end | Moorhead State | |
| 15 | 374 | Len Garrett | Tight end | New Mexico Highlands | |
| 16 | 402 | Jack O'Donnell | Guard | Central State (OK) | |
| 17 | 427 | Monty Johnson | Defensive back | Oklahoma | |
| Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||

### Undrafted free agents

1971 Undrafted Free Agents of note :
| Player | Position | College |
| Pat Houlton | Guard | St. Norbert |
| Jim DeLisle | Defensive tackle | Wisconsin |
| Jim Maier | Running back | St. Norbert |
| Pat Matthews | Wide receiver | Pacific |
| Pat Mitrakos | Defensive end | Pittsburgh |
| John O'Dell | Kicker | Parsons |
| Tom Watson | Tackle | Northern Michigan |

## Preseason

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
| 1 | August 7 | Chicago Bears | L 0–2 | 0–1 | Milwaukee County Stadium | 47,248 |
| 2 | August 14 | Pittsburgh Steelers | L 13–16 | 0–2 | Lambeau Field | 56,263 |
| 3 | August 21 | Miami Dolphins | W 10–7 | 1–2 | Milwaukee County Stadium | 46,464 |
| 4 | August 28 | Oakland Raiders | L 13–17 | 1–3 | Lambeau Field | 56,263 |
| 5 | September 4 | at Cincinnati Bengals | L 24–27 | 1–4 | Riverfront Stadium | 55,477 |
| 6 | September 10 | at Buffalo Bills | W 20–14 | 2–4 | War Memorial Stadium | 37,301 |

## Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
| 1 | September 19 | New York Giants | L 40–42 | 0–1 | Lambeau Field | 56,263 | Recap |
| 2 | September 26 | Denver Broncos | W 34–13 | 1–1 | Milwaukee County Stadium | 47,957 | Recap |
| 3 | October 3 | Cincinnati Bengals | W 20–17 | 2–1 | Lambeau Field | 56,263 | Recap |
| 4 | October 10 | at Detroit Lions | L 28–31 | 2–2 | Tiger Stadium | 54,418 | Recap |
| 5 | October 17 | Minnesota Vikings | L 13–24 | 2–3 | Lambeau Field | 56,263 | Recap |
| 6 | October 24 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 13–30 | 2–4 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 75,531 | Recap |
| 7 | November 1 | Detroit Lions | T 14–14 | 2–4–1 | Milwaukee County Stadium | 47,961 | Recap |
| 8 | November 7 | at Chicago Bears | W 17–14 | 3–4–1 | Soldier Field | 55,049 | Recap |
| 9 | November 14 | at Minnesota Vikings | L 0–3 | 3–5–1 | Metropolitan Stadium | 49,784 | Recap |
| 10 | November 22 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 21–28 | 3–6–1 | Atlanta Stadium | 58,850 | Recap |
| 11 | November 28 | New Orleans Saints | L 21–29 | 3–7–1 | Milwaukee County Stadium | 48,035 | Recap |
| 12 | December 5 | at St. Louis Cardinals | T 16–16 | 3–7–2 | Busch Stadium | 50,443 | Recap |
| 13 | December 12 | Chicago Bears | W 31–10 | 4–7–2 | Lambeau Field | 56,263 | Recap |
| 14 | December 19 | at Miami Dolphins | L 6–27 | 4–8–2 | Orange Bowl | 76,812 | Recap |
    Monday (November 1, 22)
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

## Game summaries
### Week 8

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Packers | 0 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
| Bears | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
at Soldier Field • Chicago, Illinois
* Date: November 7
* Game time: 2:00 p.m.
* Game weather: 27 °F (−3 °C) • Wind 16 miles per hour (26 km/h; 14 kn)
* Game attendance: 55,049
* Referee: Bob Frederic
* Pro-Football-Reference.com
Game information :
Packers
Scott Hunter 7/14, 133 Yds, TD, INT
John Brockington 30 Rush, 142 Yds, TD
Donny Anderson 3 Rec, 50 Yds
Bears
Bobby Douglass 18/37, 192 Yds, TD, 3 INT 5 Rush, 30 Yds, TD
Bob Wallace 4 Rec, 48 Yds :
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | GB | CHI |
| 2 | | | | | Packers | Carroll Dale 31-yard touchdown reception from Scott Hunter, Lou Michaels kick good | 7 | 0 |
| 2 | | | | | Packers | John Brockington 7-yard touchdown run, Lou Michaels kick good | 14 | 0 |
| 4 | | | | | Bears | George Farmer 30-yard touchdown reception from Bobby Douglass, Mac Percival kick good | 14 | 7 |
| 4 | | | | | Bears | Bobby Douglass 1-yard touchdown run, Mac Percival kick good | 14 | 14 |
| 4 | | | | | Packers | 22-yard field goal by Lou Michaels | 17 | 14 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 17 | 14 |

### Week 13

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| Packers | 7 | 0 | 14 | 10 | 31 |
at Lambeau Field • Green Bay, Wisconsin
* Date: December 12
* Game time: 2:00 p.m.
* Game weather: 28 °F (−2 °C) • Wind 12 miles per hour (19 km/h; 10 kn)
* Game attendance: 56,263
* Pro-Football-Reference.com
Game information :
Bears
Kent Nix 7/18, 149 Yds, TD, INT
Joe Moore 9 Rush, 20 Yds
Dick Gordon 3 Rec, 80 Yds
Packers
Scott Hunter 6/12, 169 Yds, TD, INT
John Brockington 20 Rush, 63 Yds, TD
Carroll Dale 1 Rec, 77 Yds, TD :
Ray Nitschke Day
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | CHI | GB |
| 1 | | | | | Packers | Carroll Dale 77-yard touchdown reception from Scott Hunter, Tim Webster kick good | 0 | 7 |
| 1 | | | | | Bears | George Farmer 31-yard touchdown reception from Kent Nix, Mac Percival kick good | 7 | 7 |
| 3 | | | | | Packers | John Brockington 6-yard touchdown run, Tim Webster kick good | 7 | 14 |
| 3 | | | | | Packers | Scott Hunter 1-yard touchdown run, Tim Webster kick good | 7 | 21 |
| 3 | | | | | Bears | 12-yard field goal by Mac Percival | 10 | 21 |
| 4 | | | | | Packers | Bart Starr 1-yard touchdown run, Tim Webster kick good | 10 | 28 |
| 4 | | | | | Packers | 27-yard field goal by Tim Webster | 10 | 31 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 10 | 31 |

## Standings

NFC Central :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| Minnesota Vikings | 11 | 3 | 0 | .786 | 5–1 | 9–2 | 245 | 139 | W2 |
| Detroit Lions | 7 | 6 | 1 | .538 | 2–3–1 | 3–6–1 | 341 | 286 | L2 |
| Chicago Bears | 6 | 8 | 0 | .429 | 2–4 | 5–6 | 185 | 276 | L5 |
| Green Bay Packers | 4 | 8 | 2 | .333 | 2–3–1 | 2–7–2 | 274 | 298 | L1 |
    Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.